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Dear Savvy Senior,
What can you tell me about kidney disease? My mother died from kidney failure a few years ago at age 76, and I’m curious what my risks are and what I can do to protect myself.
Kidney Concerned

Dear Concerned,
Anyone who has a family history of kidney disease, or who has high blood pressure or diabetes is at risk and needs to have their kidneys tested. Here’s what you should know and some tips to help you take care of your kidneys.

This morning I was heading up the stairs and I tripped. I didn’t fall or anything, just stumbled a bit and put out my hand to catch myself on the steps ahead. It wasn’t a big deal, but it got me thinking.
Most of us have probably stumbled on a step a time or two. In a crowd we may look around in embarrassment and give a little chuckle. But let’s be real, tripping up the steps, and falling down the steps are two very different things! Even if we fall up the steps, we don’t fall that far, and we just pick ourselves up and move on.

I was at an amazing conference last week in Chattanooga, Tennessee. One of the larger nondenominational children’s pastor’s conferences in the country. Why, as a senior pastor, would I be going to a children’s pastor’s conference? Well, there are several reasons. Other than having taught workshops there for many years in the past, I like to know what’s going on in the world of children’s ministry.

Brussels sprouts have made a comeback! It used to be that no one liked them and they were hard to come by fresh. Old varieties have been greatly improved from those forced on you as a child. Equally, updated cooking methods probably can stand some credit for elevating the previously mushy, bitter Barbie-doll-sized cabbage to a crispy, nutty treat! In short, don’t boil them to death; try some quick roasting beneath the broiler, instead.

Many Kentucky growers are using high tunnels to extend their crop seasons. While it offers a great opportunity, high tunnel production can be overwhelming without the right tools. Growers can learn to navigate the ins-and-outs of high tunnel production through a series of six webinars offered in February and March.
The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment’s Center for Crop Diversification, through the Barnhart Fund for Excellence, is sponsoring the series.

Wow, I can’t believe it! I happened to catch one of those “Get Cash Now” commercials. I wasn’t really paying attention but I glanced at the screen when that little disclaimer blurb flashed up. You know the one you can barely see and never have the time to read? Anyway, all I saw was 99.25 percent APR. You’ve got to be kidding!

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 95 now and take no medications. My primary-care doctor wants me to take aspirin, even just the baby aspirin, twice a week. Some of the supplements I take do have blood-thinning characteristics, and for that reason I am fighting the aspirin recommendation. In general, is it OK to refuse the recommendation of one’s doctor? -- F.V.

The more consumers do business online for the convenience, the more opportunities there are for scams to increase. Of all the places online to do business, your banking can be the most worrisome when it comes to safety. The FDIC has a comprehensive website that contains everything you need to know and the steps to take to keep your money safe.
Among the highlights:

Andrew J. Shoemaker of EI Segundo, California wrote recently with some good questions about his’ ancestors who were the Shoemakers and Offutts of Spencer County.
There are still several Spencer Countians who must remember the Offutts and possibly some of our Shoemakers are kin to him, so at the end of this article I am listing Andrew’s address if you’d like to write to him.

If you thought your grocery bill was sneaking up through last year, you were right. But maybe you got used to it.
Kentucky residents saw higher food prices in the last quarter of 2014, just as they did every quarter last year, and those increases amounted to a 7.6 percent hike in food prices overall in 2014, the Kentucky Farm Bureau reported.
That compares to a 3.7 percent increase nationally for food consumed at home in 2014, according to the Consumer Price Index.

I am allergic to many things and it is not just seasonal pollen…so trust me when I say don’t blame your late summer sneezes on this lovely perennial. There are about 100 species of golden rod in North America, twenty of which can be found in Kentucky. So, it is no surprise that solidago , or golden rod, is Kentucky’s official state flower.

Dear Savvy Senior,
Can you recommend any caregiving devices or technology products that help families keep an eye on an elderly parent that lives alone? Over the holidays, my sister and I noticed that my dad’s health has slipped, so we would like to find something that helps us keep closer tabs on him when we’re not around.
Concerned Son

FBC presents
women’s Bible study class
First Baptist Church Women’s Bible Study: “Bad Girls of the Bible and What We Can Learn from Them,” by Liz Curtis Higgs begins Feb. 2. There are two separate sessions for this 11 week study: Mondays at 9:15 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Both sessions will be in the media center at the church. The cost of the book is $15. All women of the community are invited to attend. If you have questions, please contact the church office at 477-8197 or Charlotte Nedros at 477-8459.